Virginia Politics Blog

Gary Johnson endorses Sarvis for governor

Robert C. Sarvis, the Libertarian candidate for governor, has picked up an endorsement by Gary Johnson, a former New Mexico Governor and 2012 Libertarian Party presidential nominee.

“Robert Sarvis is the only candidate in this year’s most-watched and most negative election who offers a relentlessly positive libertarian vision for Virginia that’s both open-minded and open for business,” Johnson said in a statement released by Sarvis’ campaign today.

Sarvis, who lives in Fairfax County, is a former software engineer, teacher, lawyer and new media entrepreneur. He left the Republican Party last year and is the first gubernatorial candidate for the Libertarian Party of Virginia since 2001, when William Redpath received just 14,500 votes, or 0.8 percent of the electorate. A July poll by left-leaning Public Policy Polling had Sarvis at 7 percent, trailing Republican nominee Ken Cuccinelli (37 percent) and his Democratic opponent Terry McAuliffe (41 percent.)

“I am honored to receive the endorsement of Gary Johnson.,” Sarvis said. “Gov. Johnson’s presidential campaign helped me make the transition away from the GOP and welcome me into the Libertarian Party, my natural political home.”